He had been an IT student at a college in Leicester and wanted to go on to higher education, said Price, adding: 'It begs the question what was going on in this young man's mind at the time of committing this terrible offence.'

Mitigating, Rod Price, said Leblanc was 'a happy boy and popular pupil', had received good reports from teachers and had never before been in trouble with police. Peter Joyce QC prosecuting told the court that the defendant had planned to rob his younger friend to help repay a drugs debt. He confessed to the killing when found covered in blood by two police officers shortly afterwards. The court heard how Leblanc armed himself with two weapons and killed his victim 'in cold blood' having persuaded him to go to nearby Stoke Woods Park, known locally as 'The Dumps' - to meet two girls. There are people being killed over here almost on a daily basis.' 'These types of games are basically murder simulators. by children who had played these types of games. 'We have had dozens of killings in the U.S. Thompson, speaking from Miami, Florida, said: 'I wrote warning them that somebody was going to copycat the Manhunt game and kill somebody. The court heard Wednesday that Leblanc had struck Stefan over the head with a claw hammer from behind, sparking the prolonged assault.

One of the skills involves sneaking up behind a victim before attacking them. In the game, the more vicious the killing the greater the points scored by the player. He said there was evidence to suggest that teenagers playing such games had difficulty distinguishing between the fantasy and reality. Lawyer Jack Thompson, who is campaigning against the sale of violent video games to children, told PA he had written to its producers warning that there would be copycat attacks.

'I don't play these games but if they are influencing kids to go out and kill people then you don't want them on the shelves.' Stefan's father, Patrick, a civil servant, added: 'The way Warren committed the murder this is how the game is set out, killing people using weapons like hammers and knives. 'I can't believe that this sort of material is allowed in a society where anarchy is not that far removed.' Giselle Pakeerah, 36, told the UK's Press Association: 'I think that I heard some of Warren's friends say that he was obsessed by this game. The game was banned by censorship officials in New Zealand six months ago and one campaigner had written to its producers warning the 'murder simulator' could lead to copycat killings. His mother Giselle claimed her son's 'inherently evil' murderer was 'obsessed' with the game and called for it to be banned. Outside the court, Stefan's parents said Leblanc had mimicked a game called Manhunt, made by Rockstar for platforms including Playstation 2, in which the players score points for violent killings. The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to murder at Leicester Crown Court Wednesday.īritain's Daily Mail Thursday carried a front page headline: 'Murder by Playstation' and another saying: 'Horror images on computer drove teenager to kill his friend aged 14.' Warren Leblanc faces a life sentence for repeatedly battering Stefan Pakeerah with a claw hammer and stabbing him to death after luring him to a local park in Leicester, in the English Midlands. The game, Manhunt, is described by its promoters as a 'sado-masochistic' game in which players gain extra points depending on the viciousness of their killings. LONDON, England - Campaigners are stepping up pressure for a violent video game to be banned after it was blamed for the horrific murder of a 14-year-old British boy by an older friend.

Manhunt 2 kills